 Agriculture on the move. Hello again, Saint Lucia and welcome to the program, Agriculture on the move. I am Philip Sydney, your host. Today with me is our former Permanent Secretary in the Minister of Agriculture and of course he has been in the service for many many moons ago. I'm sure everybody will know Mr. John Kalex who is the National Coordinator for the Jeff Six South East Coast Project. Welcome to the program sir. Thank you Mr. Sidney. I'm quite happy to be on the program today. Great. We have been hearing about this South East Coast project and people are asking you know what is this project about. So here's the opportunity given to you sir to tell St. Lucia you know give us an overview of the project. Okay thank you Mr. Sidney. The Jeff's South East Coast Project is financed by the Global Environmental Facility which we call Jeff. It has been implemented by the Department of Sustainable Development in collaboration with many of our public sector agencies and also other organizations. We work with the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture and I must say that many of the departments at the ministry is involved in implementing the project. We work with the Ministry of Social Equity. We also work with the regional energy departments of the Ministry of Infrastructure. Some of the agencies that we work with include the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation and Agriculture, IECA, the OACS and the Library Development Foundation and the National Trust just to name a few. The project area basically spans from Mandalay Point that's the viewing point in Dennery just before Bodily Prison and it ends in Library. The project has three main components Mr. Sidney and the first one basically is what we call Equal Systems Management and under that component the project aims to build a capacity of public sector agencies, private sector and community organizations as well as the community residents to help them effectively manage ecosystems in the area and to do that we want to develop a management information system which would have information on the biodiversity in the area, fun and floral, the use of our ecosystems, who uses the services of the ecosystems and we hope that by having that type of information then decisions can be made on the various developments or anything that needs a decision that that information can be used to assist the decision makers in making that decision. The second component basically looks at the rehabilitation of degraded areas in the southeast coast so you talk of degraded forests, degraded agricultural areas, mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds and coastal areas so the project will in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries and Forestry assist in or provide support to the restoration of some of these degraded areas in the southeast coast. Thirdly we have the third component is sustainable livelihoods. Under that component we want to identify the various economic activities or opportunities that we have in the use of these resources, in the resources of the ecosystems and provide the support again the capacity, the training of individuals and producer groups to be able to access those resources. Finally I just want to say the major objective of the project basically is to encourage economic development of the southeast coast by maintaining healthy ecosystems, sustainable livelihoods and generating global environmental benefits. As you can see, based on the components which I mentioned these components actually help us to meet the objective of the project. But why the southeast coast? Why Denry to the library? Okay there is the annual project which is again being implemented by the Department of Sustainable Development and there we call them the sister project of the southeast coast and they started about three or four years before us and their project location is from north of the island into Denry. So our project is basically complementing what they are doing and it's a very similar project and similar objectives but they started before us so they will basically spans from Babundo into Denry and we take over from Denry into the library before us. Okay what's the duration of that project and when did it start? The duration of the project is five years. We actually started in 2020 and however we were I guess hit by the COVID-19 situation in 2020. So although we have started because of the challenges that we face with COVID-19, we have not done as much work as we we we hope to but we have continued you know we have continued along and we have tried to implement as much as we can within the COVID-19 situation. So in terms of percentage of work done can you can you measure it? Yes based on the report that we have prepared I think the last report states it's about 25 percent which is which it may not be quite a bit but given the nature of the situation and some of the challenges that we have faced you know I think we have done quite well so far. But can you identify some of in that 25 percent or what it is that you have achieved thus far? Okay very good Mrs. Sydney. The first thing that we were able to do under the project was to sensitize all the agencies that we are working with so as I mentioned the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries. We also work with the Ministry of Tourism. So the first thing we did was to have the sensitization meeting with the credit unions in the area, some of the producer groups, the CMOS farmers, the agro processors. So just to begin to sensitize them as to the project. One of our main outputs that we were able to accomplish was the development of communication, educations, public awareness program. A strategy, so we developed a strategy and we were able to engage a communication specialist, we call it communication specialist to help us implement that strategy. Again because of the nature of communication and sensitization where we were targeting primary and secondary school children, tertiary school kids. We were also targeting the agro processors, CMOS farmers, fishers, producer groups in the area like the Royal Women's Group in Meku, private sector agencies, tourism operators. And the nature of the activities that we had where you had to bring people together, we had to resort to using virtual meetings. So we were not able to accomplish as much as we could because school was basically being done on the online platform so we couldn't really meet with them as a group. But we have continued to whatever we can to begin to reach out to the stakeholders in the various communities. The other thing that we've been able to do is to, if we're going to be rehabilitating mangroves and forest and degraded areas, we need to provide the plans to do that. So we've been able to establish or almost establish a nursery at the V4 secondary school. It's about 95% complete and it should be completed within a couple of weeks. So we've been able to do that establishment there. We've been able to identify a number of areas that have been degraded in, well, area called Mont Bois-Den in Greece. And from last year, January, we actually began the rehabilitation of a number of degraded areas in that area. We've also been able to do some rehabilitation on a number of rivers, the Trumas River in Meku, the four river in Margaritout. And we also worked on the Laosos River right now in V4 as well. So these are our major activities so far. And like I said, we also have a number of consultancies that we have to undertake. So right now we are about to order contracts for four of these consultancies. The first one is with undertaking marine assessments of the Star of East Coast area. The second one is with the Terrestrial Assessment. So looking at the forests and determining, you know, okay, what flora and flora we have in the area. The third one is for socioeconomic analysis of the communities in the Star of East Coast. And from that consultancy, we want to identify economic opportunities in the blue economy, the green economy, cultural heritage, activities. So to give us an area or a guide as to what opportunities are available and what we can support for residents in the area, we also want to identify what we call the renewable energy technologies that could be provided to our producers in the area. So to help them to reduce on the use of charcoal or the use of the forest for drying things like seamos. So that consultancy will determine who received these technologies. And also look at things like climate change, agriculture, agroforestry. So it's a very broad consultancy and will give us quite a bit of information to help us with our assessments. And finally, we have the Responsible Tourism Consultancy. For that one, we'll be working with more or less tourism operators. Or again, we identify the tourism plan for the southeast coast. And again, what opportunities will be available to residents, well, of course, tourism operators. But also how can we have that interconnection between tourism and agriculture and other sectors on the southeast coast to generate the libraries that we are speaking about. And we've also begun identifying a number of demonstration activities that we want to provide some support. And if they're successful, then we can replicate them in other areas, yeah, in solution. So these are the main activities. There are other small activities that we're still trying to get off the ground. But basically, these are most of the activities that have been involved in so far. In terms of agro processing, the agro processors, like I said, you have the rural network of rural women in Angers. What sort of support that you all think that you granted to them? Okay, right now, we are working with the rural women's group in Miqua. That's just one example. I mean, there are other examples. But for the rural women's group, they are involved in making the Miqua chocolate that they have been able to, you know, sell. So we're thinking of trying to get them to diversify that chocolate product. I mean, they enter other products like Cocoa Sticks and all of those things. So we're hoping that we can assist them to develop what we call Cocoa Powder. So it requires some equipment. So right now we're doing a mini feasibility, a pre-facibility, to determine whether we can actually do that and to assist them. We also, as you know, Mr. Sidney, there is the agro processing facility in Alger. So we also want to work with the Alger facility and provide some equipment to the facility so that other agro processors in the area can come into use as a facility. So thereby, you know, developing a sector in the Miqua area. If that works well, then we can replicate it. Or you can have other groups coming to use the facility in Alger. That's the one way we're trying to assist agro processors. Another way is some of the CMOS farmers. CMOS farming has, well, the sector has basically expanded from last year into, well, from year before into this year. COVID helped. Right. And in exporting the CMOS, two things have to be done. It has to be dried first. But it also requires testing. We also want to support the diagnostic facility in helping the farmers have to test. Every batch that goes out has to be tested. But the test has to be done overseas. So we're trying to assist the diagnostic facility in bringing in some equipment to help test the product locally so that, again, you know, we'll be saving some revenue by doing the testing locally for, I guess, a small fee. And secondly, we believe that by the use of solar dryers, because CMOS has to be dry, we can, again, reduce the operating cost of the farmers. So if we can provide the dryers to a group like the CMOS Farmers Association in Foale, or the OpiCore CMOS Farmers, right? And we believe that by providing the technology to the groups, then the members can actually utilize, you know, the facilities and, you know, dry the CMOS at, well, again, a moment of fee. So these are two ways in which we are trying to assist them, like with processors. We also want to create linkages. We're not just providing financial support, but create linkages with other, like I said, other probably processors in the area as well. So for instance, somebody who owns farmland, we're thinking that we could have an arrangement between that farmer who has fruit trees or fruit crops and to have an arrangement with the agro processor was making juice so that you know that, okay, you have a dedicated source of your own material. Very good. All that points we do for a first break. You're watching agriculture on the move. Don't go away. We'll be back soon. Artificial flavoring. Sweeteners and colors too. We consume and we don't spare a thought for the damage that they'll do. Think about the children. Think about the children. How will we save it? Chemicals and GMOs are not the solution. Use organic and join. Excessive agrochemical use, additives and genetically modified foods are harmful to health and the environment. Join the Good Food Revolution. Grow, buy and consume organic. A message from Rye St. Lucia and the Ministry of Sustainable Development with funding from the GEF Small Grants Program, UNDP. Welcome back to the program, Agriculture on the Move. And of course with me is Mr. John Kalix, who is the National Coordinator for the Southeast Coast Project. Mr. Kalix, we were talking about agro processing and of course, in order to get the end product, you need to have primary fruits. We need to get, you know, when it comes to cocoa, we need to get the cocoa pod. How are you assisting, are you going to be assisting the farmers to at the production level to get to the processing level? Yes, again, working with the Department of Forestry and the Extension Services, we will be providing some support to the farmers. In fact, we have just about started providing that support to the farmers in the area. To do that we, well, I must say that in our agroforestry component, one of the things that we want to be using, one of the crops that we're going to be using is cocoa. And we've already purchased about 1,600 cocoa plants to be distributed to farmers in the three regions, region three, four and five. So we're talking from January all the way into the library. And the intention is basically is to, apart from helping the farmers to generate a little more income, but is to utilize that cocoa with the rural women's group and the cocoa fermentry in the Asia facility. But that's just sitting there for a while. That's right. So yes, so under that component of our project, we will be providing technical assistance and advice to the farmers, as well as to the agro processors, whoever it is is going to be involved in, you know, in processing the cocoa. We know for sure the rural women's group, if any other groups, you know, emerge. And the thing is, we also want to encourage young people who have just left school, people who may have lost their jobs because of COVID to see whether okay, they would be interested or work with the groups in the area to participate in that component of the project. The reforestation program where you have the trees, what plants are you all producing? Are you all producing forest trees, or are you looking at other fruit trees? Well, we want to do both, Mr. Sidney, because in our reforestation activity, and because you have the agroforestry component in men as well, we will be, I suppose, producing both forest trees and local trees, local fruit trees, things like, you know, citrus fruits, mangoes, citrus, where we said cocoa, we have the tannier for the tannier farmers as well. So it's going to be a mixture of both the fruit trees and the forest trees, because some of the farmers will request, and based on the conditions in the area, they may request them, you know, fruit trees for the property. It depends on the environmental condition. That's correct. But also on Cronland where we have more of the Cronlands in the interior in the forest areas, then we will go for the forest trees of course. You mentioned agrotourism, and you also mentioned you're not dealing with individuals, you're dealing with groups. Okay, so for example, if there's a farmer who owns a parcel of land conducive for agrotourism, he will not be able to benefit under that project? Not directly, but if there are a number of farmers in the area doing something similar, then we can provide, you know, some support not to the individual farmer, but what it is, what something that is necessary for all the farmers in the area to benefit, yes. It's going to be impossible for us to help every single person, you know, we just have the funding for it. So we want to ensure we have the highest, the best impact with the funds that we have. It means that we have to more or less support the producer groups. So as long as you're a member of these groups, then you can get, you know, the support. Are you going as far as, for example, you, okay, but you know, you're not going as far as Schwaze, but I know in the library, you have the Oscawet group, which is part and parcel of this, again, the rural women, and they do arts and crafts, linking this with forestry. You can you see some livelihood coming from all of these? Yes. As I said, we, whatever livelihood that is, that is taking place in the communities, try to see how best we can provide support. But it has to be linked to, you know, the environment and preservation, conservation of the environment. So as long as we can do that, and as long as people can benefit from it, then we will do so. There will be things that we will not be able to provide some support to. But we want to try as far as possible to, you know, assist livelihoods in the project area. Yesterday we, the world commemorated World Wetlands Day, the Forestry Department, together with Sustainable Development, we had a tree planting program, you know, in the Makute Mangrove in VA4, and also a tour of the Borai Pond. How do you see the Borai Pond and that environment and Makute Mangrove? Do you foresee government ticking over that entire little area into a national park? I mean, it's too early to say that would have to be a policy decision. That is one way of doing it, trying to ensure that both the perception of the Makute and the Borai Pond, because they are right next to one another, they're adjacent to each other. So you have about 16-17 hectares of land, which would be preserved and conserved in the area, and also it could be used as a revenue-generating facility, because lots of people are interested in bird watching. You have a number of activities taking place in the Mangrove. We have beekeepers who do honey, you have charcoal makers, and there is a beach there where a lot of people are involved in Seymour's farming as well. So it's an area that can generate livelihoods of people, and therefore it's something that could be considered. There's also another way it can be done where you develop a management plan or agreement with the land owner, where you agree or the parties agree to allow incident activities to take place in the area. And so if you do it that way and people stick to their agreements, then again it can generate revenue for both parties, both the government and the land owner. So there are different ways it can manage to ensure that the place remains pristine and managed. So it just depends on the parties to determine what's the best way to manage the area. I would hate to see this place go away from its natural habitat. I mean when I was told yesterday the number of bird species that migrate during the dry season, I mean that speak volume, and I can imagine quite a lot can be generated with this. I mean employment for the people in the area, I'm thinking. So maybe it's something that probably your project can start the talk. I mean it's the same thing we were thinking yesterday, by the way, to say okay, what kind of project assistance are we trying to maintain. In fact it's one of our objectives to preserve and maintain and conserve our ecosystems. So it's an ecosystem, it's a wetlands, it's a marshy wetlands adjacent to mangroves. So we try to see how we can restore and preserve these areas. And add to that too. I mean I don't know, well at the honey show we had Jeff, I mean you know there's supposed to be this epiculture center. I mean right there in the same area. So you can imagine that being built there. You know and to have that national area as a national park. Well that's correct. Again you can show the linkage between tourism and you know and the environment. And the project is is aware of the plans by Jeff and we also are Jeff project. So we are involved in some of the planning that is taking place. And I mean I have to be really fantastic if we could have that facility. I'm linked to Sa'athila with Central because it's a research facility. And it could be linked to a lot of maybe other universities around the region because we're going to be doing some research in the area. Exactly. But even yesterday you heard that I mean there were some students from the campus and they were down there. I mean they're doing the SBAs right? And they come there maybe every two months. So you can imagine with that center real organized how that concrete you know that environment for students are coming in and doing their research. Right and I'm also aware too that the college also receives some equipment to monitor what the quality is. And I'm sure they can it can be you they can they can use the students or the students can learn in how to you know monitor how to test for what the quality in the area. You also have the part of the college at interview forts on campus to campus B right? So if these things can take place you can see the benefit to education to the students the community because if you know I mean one of the problems of the day back in in Makote is that something is causing the death of the die. So you need to find out whether it is whether it's because of what the quality and what's causing you know the die back. I think the guy was saying that yesterday he said probably they have linked it to at least one problem is the non-flushing of the manual. Because of what's coming from upstream which is causing the problem of downstream and again it goes back to look at the question of what's that from from from the hill was it? Reach the reef. So whatever you do negatively on the ridge is going to affect the reef. And in fact one of the things we also want to be doing under the product is to identify specific areas along the east coast where we're going to be doing we're going to be monitoring the water quality continuously. So again you get a sense of you know what's happening and if you can trace it to what's happening upstream then you can go up to see what's what's causing it. Okay so after of course monitoring and evaluation of the project I'm supposed I'm supposed in the next five years there's a possibility of extending it somewhere else to to continue the the program if it's of course which I know it will be successful. Thank you Mr. Sydney. Yes well that's that's that's that's what we were hoping that you know lessons can be learned so we are learning from what has happened with Ainola. Correct. And we are you know working closely with them to ensure that you know we improve what we're doing in the southeast coast. But one of the things you know I want to also mention to under the project is which is a little different to how other projects are designed and that is we we recognize that at the end of the project then you know the funds are completed there are activities to be undertaken to support to be to be to be made and sometimes the government does not have the resources to do so. So into the project we have designed what we call the creation of a sustainable financing mechanism. So basically that is a system where from activities along the southeast coast for instance one of the things that we need to establish is a protected area a marine protected area which is similar to SMMA. So you can have activities taking place and people pay to utilize you know the marine protected area. So some of those resources can be placed in an agency I'm not saying has to be placed in any particular agency but a body and they manage the funds right and these funds can now be utilized to provide the protection of these protected areas or marine or or ecosystems in the area and at the same time it can also provide the revenue for to assist the business people small business people. So one of the things is first to identify some revenue streams that will provide general revenue to come into that facility and then help people to you know to continue with some of the economic activity in the area. Well Mr. colleagues we have come to the end of the program. Rather short there are not that so much we can speak about but I want to wish you success. I know definitely if that's not for COVID you'll be way ahead with a lot of your own 25% it will be about maybe 50%. So I am looking forward to see the results and I'm saying thank you again if your team and hope to see again the evaluation and the results which will be positive. Thank you again for being here. Thank you Mr. you've been watching our culture in the move of course here with me was Mr. John colleagues who is the coordinator of the southeast coast project and though it's under sustainable development but there's so much in our culture involved with so it's an amalgamation of the two. Thank you again for viewing remember our culture is our business it fresh it's a Lucius best. I'm Philip Sidney saying goodbye.